Saved by a Whisper
by kensi54382
Summary: An accident puts Melinda into the hospital. Melinda spends time with her grandmother and Andrea before returning to her body and waking up.
1. Chapter 1

"Jim! Let's go, we've got a call-out. An accident outside Melinda's store!" called Matthew. He was Jim's partner.

Jim looked up at the sound of his partner's voice and then ran out to the ambulance. It wasn't long before he and Matthew were both speeding towards Same As It Never Was Antiques, Melinda's antique shop. The sight that greeted them was minor, but the guys could see a person on the road, and another woman kneeling next to the person.

Getting out of the ambulance, Jim realised that the person kneeling on the road was Delia, and the person on the road was his wife. He raced ahead of his partner and dropped to his knees, praying that Melinda was okay.

* * *

**Half an hour earlier**

"Delia, I'm going to the bakery. Do you want anything?" asked Melinda.

It was almost twelve thirty and Melinda was starting to get hungry.

"Just a coffee please Melinda," replied Delia from the back room.

Melinda left the shop and was just crossing the street when she heard a screech and saw a car coming around the corner. It was going too fast and Melinda tried to get back onto the footpath. She was unsuccessful and the car hit her. It kept going as Melinda fell to the ground.

* * *

Delia looked up when a loud screeching sound filled the store. She looked out the window in time to see Melinda drop to the ground. Racing out the door, Delia pulled out her mobile phone and called 911, asked for an ambulance and hung up. She knelt down next to her friend and checked for a pulse.

Holding her breath, Delia listened hard for sirens and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the ambulance coming around the corner. However, the minute the door opened, Delia's heart dropped. Jim climbed out and she could see the fear on his face when he saw his wife on the ground.

"Delia, what happened?" asked Jim.

"I don't know. She was just going to the bakery. We do it every day Jim," babbled Delia.

Jim pulled Delia into a brief, one-armed hug, and then helped Matthew put Melinda into the back of the ambulance.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim watched as Melinda was wheeled into a treatment room by her doctor. Jim knew the doctor, and knew that Dr Smith was a wonderful doctor. He was always very careful with Melinda, and he knew about Melinda's secret. Jim trusted Dr Smith, and was happy to let him look after Melinda, but he was worried about his wife.

* * *

Four hours had passed since Jim had brought his wife to the hospital. Dr Smith was still trying to fix her injuries but had been coming to update a distressed Jim every half hour. He came out now with a small, sad smile on his face.

"Jim, I'm done. You can see Melinda now," he said tiredly.

"Is she okay?" asked Jim.

"She's in a coma, but I do believe that she will make a full recovery."

"I can't lose her Dr Smith."

"I know. You won't. I promise that she'll wake up Jim, I promise. Come on, I'll take you to her."

Jim stood up and followed Dr Smith to Melinda's room in the Intensive Care Unit. The sight of his wife lying in a hospital bed, covered with wires and tubes made Jim angry. He loved Melinda and always tried to protect her from danger. He even tried to protect her from the ghosts that posed a threat to her, even though he couldn't actually see them. Jim was ready to kill the person that had hit Melinda with their car.

"Is she responsive?" asked Jim.

"Not much, but she is responding to painful stimuli. Your wife is a fighter Jim," replied Dr Smith.

"Thank you so much for this."

"It's not a problem. It's my job."

"I don't care if its your job. You deserve a please and thank you all the time."

Dr Smith gave Jim a smile and headed out, leaving Jim with Melinda.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mel, I need you to wake up baby," said Jim quietly. "I can't lose you sweetie."

Jim was sobbing as he spoke. Unaware of the perks of having Melinda's gift, he didn't know that she could actually hear him.

* * *

Melinda opened her eyes to find her grandmother watching her. She could see another person in the distance, but was unable to see who they were. Startled, Melinda closed her eyes again, but when she opened them, she could see that nothing had changed. Now, Melinda was shaking out of fear, and attempted to go back to her life.

"Mel, it's okay darling. You're safe here with us," said her grandmother, Tammy.

"Where am I? Who's us? What happened?" asked Melinda. Tears were pouring down her face.

"Oh sweetie, it's alright." Tammy pulled her granddaughter into a hug. "Do you want to see who else is here?"

"Where's here?"

"Limbo."

"Am I dead?"

"No baby. You're in a coma. Look." Tammy turned Melinda around and pointed to Jim. He was sitting next to a hospital bed with tears pouring down his face.

"I need to talk to him."

"You can't sweetie. Not yet. Your brain is healing and until it has healed, you won't wake up."

"What happened?"

A second voice answered Melinda's question.

"You were hit by a speeding car outside your shop Melinda."

Melinda turned around, surprise clouding her features. For a few seconds Melinda just stared. Then she realised that she really was seeing her friend and threw herself into a hug.

"Andrea! I never thought I would see you again. I've missed you so much," said Melinda as she let go of her friend.

"I missed you too. But I gave you Delia, and it seems that I made a good decision. You two make a wonderful pair of friends."

"Can you come and visit me sometime Andrea?"

"Sure. Whenever you want me to, just call my name. I'll hear you."

Relief crossed Melinda's face as she relaxed. She was safe with her grandmother and her best friend.

"Can't you tell Jim that I'm okay?"

"Sorry honey, but that doesn't work. He'll know that you're okay soon enough. Providing you don't have too much fun here with us and decide to stay," said Tammy.

"I have to go back to Jim right now though Gran."

"You need to relax Melinda. We'll take care of you sweetheart."

"Please Gran? Please just let him know that I'm okay."

Tammy shook her head in response and Andrea took Melinda's arm gently to lead her away from Jim.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello?" asked Jim. He had just walked out of Melinda's room to answer his phone.

"Hi Jim, it's Dave." Dave was Jim's boss.

"Hi. I'm not coming in today."

"I know. Matthew told me that Melinda's in hospital. Is she okay?"

"No. She's in a coma. I don't know when she'll wake up."

"I'm sorry Jim. Listen, I have a detective here that wants to talk to you. Can I send him up?"

"Yeah. I'm in the ICU. Mel's in room four."

"Thanks. She'll be okay Jim. Melinda's very strong."

"I know Dave."

"Take as much time as you need Jim. Call when she wakes up so I can come and visit her."

"Sure. Bye."

Jim closed his phone and headed back to his wife's bedside. He had just sat down when two detectives walked into the room.

"Jim Clancy?" asked one of the detectives.

"Yeah, that's me. I understand that you have a job to do, but my wife is unconscious and I need to be with her, so please make this quick," answered Jim.

"No problem. I'm Detective Anderson and this is Detective Roberts. We're investigating your wife's accident."

"She didn't cause it."

"We know that. We're looking for the person that did."

"What do you need from me?"

"Does your wife have any enemies?"

"No. Most people she meets love her."

"What about the others?"

"They don't hate her, they just think she's weird."

"Do you know if anyone would want to hurt Melinda?"

"No way. Mel's too quiet for that."

"Do you have any enemies?"

"Why? Mel got hurt, not me."

"That obviously hurt you. Someone might want to get to you."

"I don't think I do. I'm a paramedic. I'm sure there are people that have lost loved ones en route to hospital that might hate me though."

"Okay. I think that's it for now. Thanks for your time Mr Clancy."

Jim thanked the detectives for helping look for the person that hurt Melinda and then returned his attention to his wife.

* * *

"Gran, can you point them in the direction of the person that hit me?" asked Melinda.

Melinda, Tammy and Andrea had been watching the detectives speak to Jim.

"No. I know who did it, but I can't talk to them without you Mel."

"Okay. Am I going to remember this when I wake up?"

"Probably not. I wouldn't even be surprised if your memory's a little out of whack. You ended up with a pretty bad head injury."

"How bad?"

"Very. I can't explain it though. Come on, let's go do something for a while. You'll be back with Jim before you know it Mel."

"I don't want to go. Jim needs me."

"Melinda, Jim doesn't know that you're next to him. He can't see you, remember? He wants his wife back, but sitting here doesn't help you heal any faster," said Andrea.


	5. Chapter 5

"Melinda, please baby, wake up. I miss you so much. I'm scared. I don't know what to do," sobbed Jim. It had been almost twenty-four hours since Melinda had been hit and she was still unconscious. Jim hadn't gone home yet, so Delia had brought him some clothes the previous evening.

* * *

Melinda watched as Jim poured his heart out to her lifeless body. She wanted to speak to him badly but she didn't know how to go back to her body. Melinda spent a few minutes thinking about how to get back to Jim before seeing her grandmother walking towards her. She was fading around the edges and it scared Melinda.

"Gran, what's going on?" asked Melinda as she fought to adjust her vision.

"Don't fight it Melinda. I thought you wanted to see Jim?" asked Tammy.

"I do. Why are you blurry?"

"Your body is healing quickly Melinda. You need to go back now sweetie."

"I'm scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It's not time for you to die sweetheart. You still have a long life to live. Go back to your husband."

Melinda could feel herself being pulled backwards and she tried to reach out to her grandmother. She couldn't reach and she tried to stop the tears from spilling over.

* * *

Jim looked up when he felt Melinda's left hand move. Her eyes were open but she was looking around with confusion on her face.

"Mel?" asked Jim.

Melinda looked over at her husband. A look of relief crossed her face when she recognised her favourite man in the whole world.

"Jimmy, what happened?" asked Melinda.

"You were hit by a speeding car. Don't you remember?"

"I remember. Was my grandmother here?"

"No. Why?"

"I have this weird feeling that I was speaking to her but I can't remember if it was real or not."

"Maybe you did speak to her while you were in the coma."

"Maybe."

Dr Smith walked in and smiled at Jim. Melinda watched as he came closer and then moved towards Jim, clutching his hand as she fought to remember who the doctor was.

"Relax Melinda. I'm not going to hurt you darling," said the doctor.

"Mel, it's Doctor Smith. Remember?" asked Jim. He was getting worried about Melinda.

Melinda relaxed as recognition set in and she moved back to the middle of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really tired," said Melinda.

"That's alright sweetie. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Get some rest Melinda. I'll come back a little later and check on you."

Jim waited until Melinda fell asleep and then followed the doctor into the hallway.

"What's wrong with Mel?" he asked.

"She's just woken up from a coma Jim. Her brain is still tired and sluggish. That's normal," answered the doctor.

"Can you check her out?"

"Sure. I'll get a neurosurgeon down to take a look at her this afternoon."

"Thanks Doctor Smith."

Jim went back to his wife and sat down, holding her hand and worrying about her.


End file.
